If the majority of the nation were laughing at our president, it probably wouldn't be a good thing. Unless, of course, the president happens to be Robin Williams.
"Man of the Year" shows just how much luck, coincidence and the smallest detail imaginable helps one comedic man score a seat in the White House.
The movie opens with Jack Menken (Christopher Walken, "Click") telling the story of television news comedian Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams, "Robots"), who one day decides to run for president for the sheer heck of it. The unique and somewhat unsettling presence of Walken immediately pulls the audience into the story.
Through the power of the Internet, the word spread across the nation that a comedian is running for office. In stereotypical fashion, Dobbs' opponents Kellogg and Mills are near copies of each other, with polished families, pressed suits and fake smiles. With the support of over a million emails, Dobbs begins to make waves.
Although the comedian doesn't have a family to talk about, he does have Menken, his manager, and Eddie Langston (Lewis Black, "Accepted") who follows him around the nation on his campaign.
Much of the movie consists of standup routines by Robin Williams, and there are several moments where Walken and Black join in the act. This chance maneuver could have been a major flaw in the movie, but their performance is sufficient enough to keep the ball rolling.
A side plot develops at the Delacroy company when Eleanor Green (Laura Linney, "The Hottest State") discovers a flaw in the company's computerized voting system. Linney's performance in this movie is by far the worst, but it may have been the director's fault, as the awkward and unnecessarily long scenes in the movie give her character more time.
With an overall strong performance by the comedians, "Man of the Year" achieves its purpose: entertaining the audience. Tom Dobbs' last line of the movie, "Let's keep it simple, politicians are like diapers and should be changed for the same reason," also puts a cap on another theme: the underlying commentary on today's government. The story remains insightful but not overbearing, comedic but focused - a great formula for success.
